2024-10-09 00:03:29
Sickness among employees is at a record level this year. However, the AOK rules out one reason.
The number of cases of illness among employees in Germany is heading towards a record level this year. Between January and August, there were around 225 sickness-related absences from work for every 100 insured people, as the AOK Federal Association determined based on sickness reports.
That was already as many cases of illness as in the entire previous year. The expected wave of illness in autumn and winter is still pending, it was said. For comparison: On average between 2014 and 2021, there were only just under 160 cases of illness per 100 insured people per year.
According to the study, the largest proportion of absences is again made up of respiratory illnesses. There have been around 75 such cases of incapacity for work for every 100 AOK members this year. Here too, the health insurance company is expecting another record high for the current year.
However, insurers also include mental illnesses as drivers. Between January and August there were around 15 such cases for every 100 insured people, which is already more than in the whole of 2023. Because employees with such illnesses are usually on sick leave for significantly longer than with a cold, for example, the number of absences due to mental illnesses has increased increased by almost half between 2014 and 2024.
Since 2021, employees have also been able to take sick leave over the phone. Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) recently spoke out in favor of abolishing this option in view of increasing absenteeism. However, according to the AOK, there is no evidence that this is being misused to any significant extent. However, it could well be that cases of illness are now recorded more comprehensively through telephone sick notes and automatic transmission to insurance companies.